Electrical signaling apparatus.



PATENTBD 1888.4, 1808. 8. P. WOODING. y.BMSCTRIGAL SIGNALING APPARATUS.

AP`LIUATION FILED E13-23, 1906.

F 2 SHEETS-SHEET -l.

rmmnto@ @www No. 878,106. PATENTBD FEB. 4, 1908.

B. P. WooDING. ELECTRICAL SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2Q ull, clear, and exact descri UNrrED STATES' PATENTorrron'.

BENJAMIN F. WOODING, OF DENYER, COLORADO.

ELECTRICAL SIGNALING-i APFARATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1908.

-App1ication iied February 23 1906. Serial No. 302.385.

tion,sucl1 as will enable ot art to. which it appertains to .make andus.

th same, reference being had to the accom- Y cons a ying. drawings, and

es of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to im rovements in electrical signaling apparatusut more speciflca yto a special construction and arrangementy of contactcarried by the train and adapted to engage the conductors of a blocksystem which conductors may be sup orted on polles or placed on theground. n the ylattercase they would of course be insulated frdm theearthin order to maintain the signalin circuit intact and prevent thegrounding o the current.

special feature of my improvement consists the fact that my improvedcontact is ructed `'and arranged to yield freely to compensate for theswaying of the train in eithen'direction, the construction being suchthat perfect contact may be at all times maintained regardless` of thisswaying movement.

Having briefl outlined my improved construction as wellas the functionit is intended to perform, I will proceed to describe the same in detailreference being made tothe accom anying drawing in which is illustratedan ein odiment thereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a view illustrating my improved yieldingcontact shown in connection with the signaling conductors supportedabove the ground. Fig. 2 is a View looking toward the left in Fig. 1showing the signaling conductors in place but with their supportingapparatus removed. Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-8Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view showinor in detail the manner of snp orting theoverhead conductors shown in igs. 1 and 2.

tion taken on the. line 5-5 Fig. 4. Figs. 6,

7, 8, 9, I1() and 11 illustrate other forms of construction. Fig. 12 isa view of .the general arrangement of the system independently of theparticular form of contact.'

tion of the invenv ers skilled in the l naled in supports 12 fast on thecar.

to the letters andy Fig. 5 is a secdiagrammatic.

.longitudinal movement in. the supporting The same reference charactersindicate the same parts in all the views.

Referring first more especially to Figs.-

' and 2 of the drawing, let the numeral 5 designate a train or a carthereof upon 1s mounted a yielding contact which 1n this 1nstance .iscomposed of two arms 6 and 7, -a

guide rod 8 and of a torsional spring 9.

ait 10 jour- Around the shaft 10 the spring 9 .is s irally arranged oneyextremity of the spring eing connecte The arm 6 is made 'fast to a s.with one of the supports 12 as shown at 14, While the other extremityis made fast to the shaft as shown at 13, the arrangement being suchthat the tension of thel spring normally acts to throw the larm 6 outwary toward the conductors 15 of thel block system. These conductors aresuitably supported. In this particular instance an arm 16 is pivotallymounted at 17 on a bracket 18 made fast to a pole or post 19. Thedownward movement of the arm 16 is limited by a support 20 which in thisparticular instance is shown flexible though it is evident that the arm16 may bel supported in any suitable manner.

The arms 6 and 7 are ivotally connected or jointed at 21, while t elower extremity of the arm 7 is pivotally connected as shown at 22 withthe vertically disposed rod 8 mounted in guides 23 secured to the car 5.It is evident that by virtue of this construction, if the car sways ortilts toward the left, the spring 9 will act to throw the contact arm 6outwardly and thus maintain perfect contact with `the conductors l5while if the car sways toward the left, the Contact arm and itsconnections 6 will yield sulliciently` to compensate for said movement'while by virtue of the flexible connection 20 between the arm 16 andthe post 1.9, the conductors 15 may change their .relative position tofacilitate the operation of the device.

In Figs. 4 and 5 a special arrangement is illustrated for supporting thec .ductorsi from the arm 16. In this case shoes or clamping'devices 24arev passed arouiiid the conductors 15 and secured to hangers 25 whichare connected with the arm 16 in any suit-- able manner. As shown in thedrawing the conductors are curved u nvardl indicated by the dotted linesin Fig. 4 and also as indicated by the position of the conductor 'l5 inFig. 5 thus locking the conductors against .pivotally connected with t aband member 28 engag.` I ingathe conductorsxwhich are supported -onastationary shoes. In Fig. 6 another form of movable contact isillustrated com e car`5 asshown at`27 and having supports.- The 'arm' 26is s ring-held and spring-actuated by means `o the torsional spri 9 thesame as thearm 6in Figs. 1 and 2. :In igs. 7 and 8 lstill another formof construction is illustrated. In this/pase the contact connected withthe caris'co'mposed of two members 32 and33 pivotally connected at 34.vThemember 32 is mounted4 in a bracket 35 secured to the car 5L .f Thearm v 33 is held jup against the contacts 15 by 32 as shown direction,the tendency of the sp means of a n A at 37, andbent around the joint 34'to engage the yarm 33-,u1iderneath thus forming a yielding supportg iIn this instance the conductors k15 are .xnountedon a statio`narysupport 38, It isassumed'iii allthe constructions heretofore describedthatv the signaling conductors 15 4are insulated from the ground inL an1 suitable: manner. As'

shownin Figs. 7 an 8 the arm- 32 is' supposed to have a limitedrevolublemovement mits bearing 38. To the upper extremityl of thisl arm32 is attached a cross piece 39 whose extremities onV opposite sides ofthe, arm, 32 are lacted on by 'springs 40 so .that in the event that thearm 32 is turned in either will be to return it to its normalposit1on.j'.In the views designated Figs. 6, 7 and 9 one ofthe 'trackrails is indicated and designated 41 in order to show that thesupporting means for the signaling( conductors l restt neai` v-thellevel of the trac A y.

In thejconstruction Ash`c` wn in F1g." e 9 fa [bell crank-'lever havingarms' 42 Iand 43'"'is 'em-y l i i# is'illustrated for insulatingtheconductors V49 from, eachother. l, 1 l' The insulating material isdesignated lby I vthe same reference characteri'n both cases.

loyeds This lever-is ulcrumed/'at--44fona bracket" 45 mounted' om thecar.."'"lhearm 42 of the lever engages a U-shapd', guide 46 ibn whichthelever arm' is forming the block system, said vconductors beingseparated by insulating material l50,l

In Fig. 11 a'slightly diiierent. construction In Fig. 12 'the manner ofdividing 'the signaling conductors into sections A is illus'- trated.These sections 'A 'are insulated' 'from each other by blocks Bl ,whichare alternately arranged orstag'gered inthe two si'gnal.

rising an arm 26l ori: 416 above they spring 36 made fast to the arm4adapted to movev ck and forth as indicated by dotted lines.nnectedwith'the arm 43 lis a depending t contact 48 which engages the'zonductors49V ing clondl'ictc'ars'.- I As show/nin the drawing l thelslgnaling current is produced 'b alter'- nating currentfdynamos linounte011 the trains. The conductorffC' 4leads. from' one `pole of each sourceof electricity to the con,- tact 6 engaging the's'ignalin 'conductors15. The connectionv betweenV t e conduct'orC naling mechanism .may be.and the' signaling conductorsin Fig. 12, is A designated 6 to harmonizewith the contact arm designated with the same reference char- 75 givingthe engineer of each train-the beneiit` of both audibleand visual'signals. A con# ductor D leads from the other` pole 'of the -source tothe yground E. l

. i In Fig. 12 the two alternating `current dynamos 51 are supposed tobe'mounted'on two trams or the engines of two trains. In

this event when ,the trains have reached points where both are betweentwo offthe insulatingI devices B of one of the conductors trains .andjeach engineer may be signaled' through .the instrumentality The blocksorsectionsAf the signalin -conductors` are supposed to be lof s cientbetween trams equi my improvement. i s systemjs explained 'andillustrated more iin detail in my previous application Serial.. No.232,104, iled Nov,A

A-'10t1 1,1.1i04. i From the `foregoing description the use andoperation of my improved device willibe readily understood and need notbe further explained in detaiL.'

- Attention vis called to the fact that the variof suitable'lvmec'haijlisr'n which -will bereadllyunderstood. i

y ,15, the circuit will' be completed between the -length yto preventthe possibility of collisions. edfin accordance with ous contact.devicesdisclosed andheretofore described are so constructed that in casethe signalin' conductors 15 `should become de'- tached 'om-their supportor supports at one y "or more points,l the lower portion of the con'- vtactI device as the member 7 in Fi 1, would still maintainengagementwith t conductors andas a supl ort for the conductors is approached, .towhich v connected, the conductors will be" carried upwardlyto theirnorma upon their contact arm4` 6. This is t e reason for the speciallowerconstruction of the various contacts. -v

' YIlaiu'ng thus described my invention, what Iclaimis.:` v 1.I1ielectrical; si combination 'of signa 'ng conductorssuitably arranged, ofa yieldingly-rtained contact pivotally mounted on the train and havingan lnclined member, adapted .to engage-the'conadually pose. set fortthey were properly' position aling apparatus, the v f, ence to the lineof the 4. ln railway signaling apparatus, the com- 2. ln electricalrailway signaling apparatus, the combination with lsignaling conductorsarranged te form a block system, oi' a spring-actuated contact pivotedon the train and having an inclined member adapted to engage the saidconductors, the movement of the contact being sufficient to compensatefor'tlie swaying of the train when in motion.

3, ln signaling apparatus, the combination with signaling conductors, ofa contact arm pivotally connected with the train and spring-held topermit the necessary degree of oscillation and inclined to compensatefor the varying Aosition ot the train with refersignaling conductors.

bination with signaling conductors arranged in sections or blocks, theextremities of the sections of the tvo conductors heilig staggered, aspring-held contact mounted on. the train for closing the circuitbetween trains when on the same signaling l section or block,

pivotally .the said contact having an inclined member having suflicientmove- 1 ment to maintain it in operative relation with l the signalingconductors regardless o the l swaying movement of thetrain.

l 5. In electrical signaling a A paratus for l `ailways, the combinationo conductors l divided into sections or blocks, alocal circuit mountedon the train, signaling mechanism included in said circuit,`ayieldinglyl retained contact pivotally mounted on the l train and havingan inclined member engagl ing the conductor, and a suitable connection lbetween the said contact and the local circuit l for closing the latterand operatin l, naling mechanism, substantially as in presence of twowitnesses.

' B JNJAMIN F. VVO( )IDI-I\I(1`:.`- Witnesses z DENA NELSON, OTTO E,HoDDioK,

the siescribe In testimony whereof l affix'my signature.

